


Fantasy meets reality.

by myotishia



Series: In the rift [6]
Category: Torchwood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-23 15:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18552382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myotishia/pseuds/myotishia
Summary: A relaxed wedding dress fitting turns into a new case for the team as the streets are suddenly abandoned.





	1. The Z word.

“How does your leg feel?” Asked Owen as he pulled on his gloves.

Elise shrugged and pulled up the side of her skirt to show her bandaged thigh. “Sore as hell, but no more than I’d expect. How long until I can put weight on it properly?”

“You were lucky, it didn’t hit the bone or any major blood vessels so you can maybe put your full weight on it again in a week or so. I was more worried about the chance of infection.”

“I tried to keep it away from the mud.”

“You did pretty well, but gunshot wounds are a bitch. Even clean shots that are treated immediately can get infected and that’s how you end up in surgery.” He removed the bandage and dressing as gently as he could, happy that the wound looked clean.

“How is it?”

“Your leg’s going to drop off.”

She rolled her eyes. “Asshat.”

“It’ll be fine, just keep it clean and dry. I’ll redress it for you this time.”

“Thanks. How are you?”

“Me? There’s nothing wrong with me.”

“A guy almost killed you.”

“And you shot him in the hip. Keep still.” He continued treating her thigh, knowing that it must be hurting. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve had a gun pointed at me.”

“That’s scary in itself.”

“Tosh said your watch was broken.”

“I’ll fix it after we’re done here.” She took it from her wrist, turning it over in her hands. “The casing and screen look fine. The fall probably just knocked a wire out of place.”

“I didn’t think you’d still need it.”

A short silence filled the room, neither party wanting to speak about her missing friend.

“I’m still going to have the dreams or whatever they are. My weirdness isn’t completely gone.”

“You sound sure of that.”

“I am. Time travel comes at a price. I’m ok with that.”

He looked up from his work. “You think you can still time jump?”

“Only twenty four hours either way, at most, but it’s something. I don’t know the distance I can go yet.”

“You shouldn’t use it. You don’t have someone who knows how to control it anymore.” Owen had never looked more serious in his life. “Just let it go and be human for a while.”

“Are you worried about me?”

“Of course I am!” He snapped, throwing his gloves into the bin.

Elise sat up and reached out for his arm. “Owen… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to …”

“Just leave it… You’re going to be on desk duty for a while. You’ve got to write up your report about the Pharm anyway.”

“Owen… When I’m all healed up would you mind training me to be a proper field agent?”

“Me? You realise I’m the Hub fuck up. You might want to go to Jack for that.” He smirked.

“You’re reckless, stubborn and trigger happy… but that’s what makes you good at what you do. I know I run into things and just say fuck it to the risks but I wouldn’t even be here if I didn’t.”

“We’ll talk about it once you’re healed, for now you’ve got paperwork to do. And tell Tosh her girlfriend’s crazy.”

“Will do.” She smiled.

 

Ianto placed Elise’s morning coffee on her desk. “I hope you’re going to be better than Owen was on desk duty.”

“Oh?”

“Have you ever seen the shining?”

“Really? That bad?”

“Luckily an axe won’t put a dent on most of the doors here. It only ended when he cut the cast off his leg and told us that if he didn’t go out soon he’d start posing bodies around the Hub out of boredom. I believed him.”

She laughed into her mug. “I promise I won’t go posing bodies around the place.”

“If you want to get some fresh air tomorrow I’ve got a wedding dress fitting to get to. You can come along if you like. You’ll probably do a lot of sitting around but it’s better than being stuck here.” Smiled Gwen, finally able to think about her wedding in the quiet moment.

“Thanks. That sounds fun. I’ve never even seen a wedding dress in real life before.”

Both Ianto and Gwen looked a little shocked.

“What? I’ve never been to a wedding and we didn’t have a bridal wear shop anywhere near where I lived.”

Gwens look softened, returning to her previous excitement. “You are going to have so much fun. I’ve got some cake samples to pick up too.”

“What makes wedding cake different than other cake? I know it’s fancier but what makes it specifically a wedding cake?”

“Normal cake goes off after a week. Wedding cake seems to last forever and can be used to build bomb shelters.” Ianto said drily before returning to his duties with a smile.

“Oh, don’t listen to him. It’s mostly just because it’s fancy but I really want it to actually be edible.”

“How is Rhys?”

“He’s fine. Taking everything in his stride as per usual. He’s not as paranoid now he knows what I actually do.”

“That’s fair.”

“Though I think he’s still a bit iffy with Jack.”

“Also fair. I don’t think he knows the difference between casual conversation and flirting.”

“Sooo, how’s things between you and Tosh?”

“Good. Really good.”

“She does seem so much happier than before. It’s nice.”

 

After a very entertaining dress fitting that reminded Gwen that she needed to eat even if she was stressed they headed out. Elise being a little slow as she moved with one crutch. On the street it seemed eerily silent. As it was lunch time it should have been bustling but only the birds made a noise. Workers from the surrounding shops looked out of their windows, just as confused. Gwens police instincts kicked in when she saw a car with its doors left open, shopping bags left abandoned in the road.

“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Said Gwen before rushing across the road to one of the opposing shops to talk to one of the staff. They seemed in shock.

“What happened out there?” She asked, trying to seem like just any other person walking onto the scene.

The worker, a young man who wore a lanyard around his neck emblazoned with the stores name, just shook his head. “I… I don’t know. Everyone just started walking down the street. All at once… They just turned and walked off like zombies.”

“Did you hear anything strange? See anything?”

“No. I was putting the new posters up in the window and it was like someone flicked a switch… Is it one of those flash mob things do you think?”

“No idea… Thanks.” She returned to Elise who was leaning on the bridal stores wall.

“He see anything?”

“Apparently everyone just turned and walked off down the street.”

“Should we follow?”

“Get in the car. We can call it in on the way.”

Elise took her phone from her pocket and got into the car, dialling into the comms line for the Hub.

“Having fun ladies?” Jacks voice rose from the device.

“Having a blast, just a quick question, is the rift doing it’s happy dance?” Elise asked.

“We’ve had a few spikes, why?”

“Well, everyone on the street got pied pipered a few minutes ago.”

“Any idea where they’re heading?”

“We’re following now.”

“Don’t get too close. We’re on our way.” He hung up the call.

Ahead of the car a large crowd walked in unison, seemingly in a trance. Gwen repeatedly pressed the horn but they didn’t even flinch. She parked up to the side and took her comms earpiece from the glove compartment.

“Wait here. I’m going up ahead.” She said, not waiting for a response.

Elise opened her door and pulled herself out. “You shouldn’t go alone.”

“I’ll be fine. I’m just going to look.” She rushed off ahead of the entranced people.

They all seemed to be converging on a car park outside a large garden centre. Due to it being closed that day there were no cars but as Gwen managed to push her way through the sea of people she saw where they were all going. A large sinkhole had formed, dropping into darkness. The people around her stood around the edge, unmoving. No matter what she did she couldn’t wake anyone.

As sudden as it had began, it ended. All at once people began looking around, confused before a panic broke out at being that close to the edge of the sinkhole. People scattered in all directions and Gwen had to admit she was a little thankful for being on the inside so she didn’t get trampled.

 

Jack looked over the edge of the now sixteen foot wide sinkhole, light hitting a perfectly flat obsidian surface below. The whole car park had been cordoned off with temporary plywood walls, usually used to keep people out of construction sites, much to the displeasure of the Garden centres manager.

“At least it’s stopped.” Jack turned away from the hole. “What do we know?”

“Fuck all.” Owen began.

Tosh interjected, “Noone remembers anything. One moment they were in one place and then they woke up here. Though whatever it was didn’t seem to affect anyone in a building when it started. There was a spike in rift energy but nothing big enough for this.”

“How far did it span?” The captain stepped away from the edge.

“A mile radius of the holes centre.”

“Sounds like we’re going to have to get down there.” He picked up a nearby rock and tossed it into the hole. It landed with a light tap and skittered across the obsidian surface as if it were ice.

 

Ianto and Elise had been sent to speak to the Garden centre manager and sat in the womans sparse office.

“This is all I need. This whole place has been falling apart since last Sunday.”

“Falling apart?” Asked Ianto, keeping detailed notes as the woman had spoken chaotically before and it was easier to keep up with what she was on about in bullet points.

“Yes! First every last fuse in this place blew. Even the ones in the plugs. Then my staff start calling in sick. They didn’t sound bloody sick. Then we had a new palette of apple tree saplings just shrivel and rot overnight for no reason. Same day we had a flock of pigeons slam themselves into the building in the middle of the bloody day. We had kids screaming and crying and noone wanted to clean that mess up. Then! As if it couldn’t get worse the water has to be turned off because some bloody thing’s in it. Do you know how much water a garden centre needs to keep running?!”

“Ma’am… Can we see the water please? And the apple trees if you still have them.”

“As long as you get that sinkhole filled in you can do what you like.”

“Well, if you could show my colleague here I can gather my things to get some samples.”

“Yes. Yes. Maybe you’ll get more than that useless plumber did.”

The manageress lead them down to the main warehouse and Ianto quickly walked back to the SUV to grab some gloves and sample jars. When he returned the manager was still complaining at Elise.

“It’s everywhere in the building and god the smell!”

“I’m sure we’ll find the source ma’am.” Elise droned, barely paying attention.

“Oh good, you’re back. Here.” The woman turned the tap and a black, oily looking liquid started pouring out. Ianto had just taken the sample when the smell hit them. It stank like rancid meat with a heavy tint of iron. The manageress ran off to throw up in one of the bins.

Elise turned off the tap. “Jesus. Did something die in their water tank?”

“They don’t have a water tank. This is from the mains.” He held the small plastic jar up to the light but even the relatively bright sunshine couldn’t permeate the liquid.

“I don’t now if it’s the water or the bigass hole out there but this place gives me the creeps.”

He had to admit the place, though otherwise completely mundane, did make him nervous. A creeping dread that rose up his spine and made him want to jump at every sound. He looked around for the dead saplings as the manageress was still hunched over a bin. In the corner of the warehouse, nearest the loading bay, sat a palate of potted saplings. Each was withered and mould had started to develop on the surface of the soil. Using a set of clippers and a hand trowel he took samples from one of the pots, the same smell that came from the tainted water oozed from the cuts on the plant. Ianto stood back as his stomach turned.

Elise made her way over to the exhausted looking manageress. “We’ve got what we need. We’ll contact you as soon as we know more. Why don’t you head home. It’s not safe to work around tainted water.”

The poor woman nodded.

 

Outside, Ianto took a deep breath, appreciating the fresh air. He still couldn’t shake the nervous feeling.

“You feel as out of sorts as I do?” Asked Elise, sitting in the back seat of the SUV with her arm over her eyes.

“Do you think it was the water?”

“We didn’t even touch it.”

Ianto paused before an idea came to mind. He leaned over to one of the computers, setting up a sound sensor to monitor all frequencies.

Elise pulled her arm away from her eyes. “What’s up?”

He looked over the levels on the screen. “Infrasound.”

“Huh?”

“It’s very low frequency sound, anything below 20Hz. Not audible by humans. It’s usually used for underground monitoring because it doesn’t disperse the way higher frequencies do.  It can cause nausea, paranoia, nervousness and in the worst cases, hallucinations. A lot of ghost sightings come from it.”

“Is that why we feel like crap?”

“Looks that way. It doesn’t explain the water though.”

“Do you think that’s what made the birds dive into the building?”

“Maybe but I don’t think so. It can mess with their directional mapping but it doesn’t make whole flocks suicidal… I’m going to go and tell the others.”

“I’m gonna stay here and rest.” She put her arm back over her eyes. “So much for desk duty, eh?”

 

Owen stepped down onto the obsidian surface, double checking his safety line just in case it collapsed. Jack had already ventured down into the sinkhole but Owen had been fooled before by Jacks oddly catlike grace. The sinkhole was unusual in that the walls didn’t have any kind of overhang. It had fallen away and left what looked like carved walls of earth. Walking across the glasslike surface it became clear that whatever it might be was hollow.

“Can you see any sign of a hatch?” He asked, finding it hard to focus his vision on the light absorbing stone.

“Not a thing.” The captain crouched down, running his fingers over the surface, hoping to feel more than he could see. He suddenly pulled back, a sharp pain shooting through his fingertips. A thin line of blood dripped from each finger and down onto the floor where it was absorbed. A loud rumbling filled the area and Jack turned to run back to the ladder.

“Out now!” He ordered.

Owen did not need telling twice, clambering up like a frightened ape. As soon as his feet were on secure earth he turned to make sure Jack was right behind him. The previously flat surface was becoming an upside down pyramid made of many steps. Starting at the centre each layer descended, threatening to pull Jack down to what he guessed would be a very nasty, if temporary, death. He reached out and grabbed the ladder that was thankfully secured from above and wrenched himself up. His cut fingers sliding but thankfully not dropping him. Ianto and Owen took a wrist each and pulled him up and out of the sinkhole.

“The fuck was that?!” Asked Owen, looking back at where he’d been standing.

Jack looked down at his hand, at the paper fine cuts that decorated his fingertips.

 

Owen took a swift trip back to the hub with Elise, wanting to test the samples that Ianto had gathered. He could only do a certain amount in the field and the this had stopped being an oddity and started being a very dangerous case.

The ‘water’ sample showed traces of blood, grey matter and microscopic bone fragments, all slowly rotting. The blood, though decomposing and tainted did present as a mix of human and animal. The apple tree sapling cuttings were rotten on the outside but the very centre showed new growth, soaking up the tainted water from its soil. Even the mould sitting on the surface of the soil showed signs of death and regrowth.

“The thing is drinking people?” Asked Elise from a safe distance.  

“It looks more like the liquid’s being pumped into the plant to change it.”

“That still sounds like a vampire plant.”

Owen suddenly stepped back from his work, switching on his comms awkwardly with his shoulder. “You all need to get away from there. It needs to be quarantined. Everything that’s been tainted already needs to be quarantined too. That includes you Harkness!” He turned to Elise. “Did you touch anything?”

“No. Ianto took the samples and he was wearing gloves. But the garden centre staff did.”

“Shit! Get a list of their staff. They need to be isolated. Call it a possible biological weapon. We’ve got a building we can use as a hospital. I need to know how many people have already been infected.”

 

When Torchwood is in a full outbreak alert they work shockingly quickly.  They’d already rounded up many of the staff and they did not look healthy. Owen tested himself for infection before the others even got back and after a very fast decontamination shower he pulled on a hazmat suit and got to work on his team. Elise, Ianto, Tosh and Gwen were all clean and had to go through the same process. Jack was not so lucky. His fingertips were already showing signs of infection. Owen suspected it was working faster on him as it had infected his blood directly.

He was taken to the ‘hospital’ and given a room, not arguing as he knew Owen wouldn’t do all this without a very serious reason.

“Owen, what’s this going to do to me?” he asked, no longer able to move his hand.

“It kills its host and then brings them back with that meat sludge in the pipes. Maybe your body will be able to fight it off but…”

“It’s ok. I understand. I’m leaving this up to you.”

Owen replied with a nod and Jack resigned himself to staying where he was. The infection was spreading too fast for him to fight and he just hoped that when he came back it would be gone. He lay down and tried not to think about the burning sensation rising up his arm. At least Owen would have a test subject. Owen lent on the wall outside of the room, reflecting on what a disaster this had all become. He hated the idea but he might have to call in UNIT for help. No, not yet. They might try and blow up the obsidian structure and spread it even further. He needed to know what would happen to a mammal at the point of death and he hated the idea of using Jack.

 

Gwen watched the infected rat plod lethargically around its tank. She felt so sorry for the creature that was obviously in pain, its tail blackened and bone exposed. If it hadn’t been a pandemic level issue even Owen may have put it down by this point. The rodent stopped and fell onto its side.

“Owen… “

He’d asked her to call him at the moment the animal passed. Under the hazmat suit he looked haggard, trying to keep all of his patients from rioting out of fear. A screen next to the tank showed that the rats heart and brain function had stopped. It was then that it twitched.

Gwen jumped at the movement but even she knew that random electrical signals can do that to a body just after death. What didn’t usually happen was the body getting back onto its feet. The dead rat moved to the side of the tank, testing where it was before backing up and ramming the side. The tank was undamaged but the creature continued trying to ram into the side. Owen signalled for Gwen to move to the other side of the table with him. The rat changed its trajectory. It was actively trying to get to them.

“It’s a… “ Gwen began.

“Don’t say it… Make sure anyone that gets too far gone is restrained out there.”

 

Twenty hours had passed since the people out in the street had been drawn to the sinkhole and the virus was mostly contained but as Tosh looked up from her power nap her stomach dropped. The tv she’d left on for some white noise played a news report. It was happening again and this time people were carrying meat and livestock towards the obsidian pit. The entranced people crashed through the cordon as if it weren’t even there and lead the animals onto the steps. Each edge seem to slice through the creatures like a knife. Those caught under its spell were feeding it. She shot up to report what the news had been showing, rushing past Jacks room. She stopped for a moment and looked over at the captain. He was pale, hunched over and holding his head.

“Jack?”

He looked up with unfocused eyes, agony etched into his face. “Calling… It’s calling… Won’t stop…”

“The pit?” She dared take a step into the room.

“It wants food… powers it… Machine… Controls… us.”

“It’s a machine? What does it do? Jack?” Another step closer.

“Heart… It… a heart…”

Another step. She was pulled sharply back by Ianto as Jack lunged for her. He pulled her out of the room and locked Jack inside. Jack roared and slammed his fists against the door, unable to fight the infection any longer.

“I heard him too. Come on.” Ianto said, finally releasing his grip on his coworker.

They ran to report what they’d been told and Jacks condition, trying to think of some way to end all this.

 

Ianto and Gwen pulled on their body armour and respirators before heading towards the pit. Covered head to toe in kevlar they moved towards the centre, diamond bladed saw in hand. Sparks shot into the air as the saw cut into the stone. In retaliation the pit began to rise and flatten itself out again as if that would protect it from the blade. The chunk of rock finally fell through, landing with an earth shattering boom. No going back, they descended into the structure.

The walls were smooth and as black as the exposed part had been but the floor was white, like bone. Red veins pulsed around the edges of the floor. They followed the crimson vessels deeper, finding that the smooth walls gave way to what looked like cogs, grinding drily. Any oil having long dried up. The further they walked the more machinery clanged and screeched, louder by the moment. Many of the vessels began to converge and wind together like muscles, pulsing. Even through the respirator Ianto felt like he could smell that rancid stench that had attacked his senses from the tap.

The bundles of vessels lead into a final, huge chamber. Its walls were slick and crimson, the vessels emptying down them like a fountain. Below the pools churned and bubbled. Finally in the centre, held up like a marionette was a figure. It stood over nine feet tall and its leathery skin clung tightly to its horribly emaciated form. It looked as if it had been dead for centuries until it opened its eyes, blind and milky. It began to move with a horrible creaking and a familiar grinding from its ribcage, the pools of blood being drawn towards it. The metal tubes that snaked into its head rattled and groaned.

 

Back at the hospital all had gone silent but only for a moment. Every one of the infected began shrieking and trying to fight their restraints, all facing in the direction of the pit. It was so loud that Owen feared some may destroy their own vocal chords. He could just hear the awful noise of joints dislocating, under the screams, as the patients pulled their restraints with no concern for their own well being.

 

Gwen and Ianto aimed at the huge creatures head. It looked around as if something or someone should have been running to its aid but it found itself abandoned. Both agents fired at once, each bullet leaving a perfect hole through its head that poured out more of the rotten viscera. It thrashed, only succeeding in pulling the wires that held it up from its skin, before finally falling limp. Still the cogs moved. Ianto pointed up to the creatures chest that still clanked and werred. Gwen stepped forward and gritted her teeth before grabbing onto the skin of the hanging figures abdomen, pulling as hard as she could.  The membrane tore away to reveal more gears, mummified flesh still stuck to the metal. In the very centre an obsidian core sat, turning slowly.

She moved out of the way as a very angry Ianto revved up the saw, lifting it up and pushing it as hard as he could into the core. It sparked in a shower of red and white before everything fell still.

 

The hospital was suddenly silent, all movement stopped and Owen hoped beyond hope that whatever had happened hadn’t killed every one of the people under his care. He was almost relieved when he heard the garden centre manageress gasping and sobbing as she looked at her dislocated wrist.

After hours spent sending people either home or to local hospitals Owen unlocked Jacks room. He looked his usual self, seemingly napping quite happily. He opened one clear blue eye and smiled.

“I think I broke the door.” He pointed to a fist sized hole in the door.

“You’re feeling better then.”

“I don’t remember anything after climbing into that sinkhole. Usually when that happens there’s alcohol involved and I don’t wake up alone.”

 

Gwen and Ianto got back to the hub and immediately headed to shower. Their clothing, hair and even shoes stank of rot. They both felt like there wasn’t enough soap in the world to wash it away but it was worth a try. They were separated by a wall but sound travelled well in the tiled room.  

“I could sleep for days after this.” Gwen said as she ran shampoo through her hair for the third time.

“That’s the plan. My shoulders are killing me.”

“Well you did hold that saw over your head.”

“I was annoyed.”

“Remind me to never annoy you.”

 

The Hub was quiet for the next three days while everyone recovered from their exhaustion. The pit was filled with concrete and paved over and life went on as if nothing had happened. That was always their best case scenario. Forgotten. A myth.

Inside the Hub was different. No one was ever really forgotten, especially when their leaving happened to coincide with an injury. Elise sighed to herself, feeling the bandage around her thigh through her trousers. The quiet in her mind had become more noticeable as the days passed and it left a dark fog in its wake. She missed their quiet conversations and always having someone there. She couldn’t let herself dwell on the matter, she had to let it go.

She stood and stretched, able to stand and limp around without her crutch, at least for a little while.

“Have you read it yet?” Asked Jack, leaning on her desk.

“Read what?”

“The letter that was left for you.”

She shook her head and sat back down in her chair. “I can’t even look at it right now. I copied it onto my own computer, my phone, a USB stick so I could whenever but… Not yet. I will, but not yet.”

“You should. It might help you.” Jack looked behind her as Owen placed his hands on her shoulders.

“Mind if I borrow this?” He asked as she jumped in surprise.

“As long as you bring her back in one piece.”

Jack took his leave.

Elise turned to look at Owen. “What do you need?”

“You looked uncomfortable and I’m bored.”

She laughed softly.

“Come on, I don’t want your aim getting rusty if I’m going to be the one blamed for training you. You should be fine standing for a bit.”

“Sounds good.” She stood and slowly limped after him.

“And when you’re healed up we need to work on your running speed.”

“I’m not that slow.”

“Tosh can run faster than you in high heels and a skirt. Yea, you are.”

“It’s not my fault that you’re all related to sodding racehorses.”

“Up your game Carter.”

“Don’t use my words.” She slapped his arm playfully.


	2. Myths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From semi mythical creatures to some rather interesting technology Torchwood deals with it all.

The next week drifted by quietly. With the rift in a more stable position it didn’t cough up as much dimensional debris and that meant a less stressful time for Torchwood. That was, of course, until they got a call about a body found at the local swimming baths. It had been found beside the pool but it looked as if it had been mauled. Owen hated bodies that ended up in water. They bloated incredibly quickly and if left would burst or fall apart and if nothing else would be a bitch to transport. He’d dragged Elise along as her leg had finally healed enough for him to no longer worry about infection. The smell of chlorine only covered the decomposition smell for so long as their boots splashed in the puddles of pool water carried by the showers that lined the short corridor to the pool.

“You had to bring me to the pool.” She complained, keeping close to the wall.

“Why? Can’t you swim?”

“I can swim. I just don’t like being this close to the water. It brings up bad memories.”

“Well, don’t worry. I don’t plan on spending all day here.” He took the corner and headed towards the body laying near the deep end. It looked as if the man had been trying to crawl away from something but his legs were undamaged. His back on the other hand had been slashed open, deep enough to reveal his spine. Four long claw gashes ran from his left shoulder to his right hip. The pool water was yellowed and blood had congealed between the tiles at the side.

Elise winced at the burning sensation in her eyes. “I bet they’re glad they over chlorinated now.”

Owen looked up at the high ceiling and the bars that held the lights. “Up there. Third bar down, two lights in.”

She tried to follow his directions. “Wha-…” She cut herself off seeing the gouges in the metal and the slight bow something heavy had caused. “Please tell me we’re not going to have to look up there.”

“You’ll be begging to, once we start moving this guy.” He opened up the body bag and, with help, scooped the body into it relieved the skin didn’t burst.

Elise looked green. “You’re right. This is gross. I’d rather be up there.”

“Told you so. Let’s get this out of here before we start swinging from the ceiling.”

“Yea, yea.” She helped him lift the body bag that was lighter than she’d expected with the water weight though she suspected that Owen was lifting more than his own share out of concern for her. After storing the body they headed up to the second floor to get a better view of the lighting system. Elise stopped a member of staff who had been called in to lock everything up after they left.

“How do you maintain the lights?” She asked.

“Oh, we have an outside contractor come in. They have these cherry picker things they use to get up there.”

“Is there any other way ?”

“Not safely… I mean you can try going through the ceiling. It’s all wired through there and I think there are places up there you can walk, but if you do go up there then we can’t take liability for anything that happens.”   

“Don’t worry. We don’t plan on putting ourselves in any danger.”

“Well, if you want to take a look there’s a door just through that office that has a ladder to the top.”

“Right. Thanks.”

“How long do you think you’ll be? I’m not trying to rush you but the smell…”

“I understand. We’ll be as fast as we can.”

Owen had heard the conversation and decided to at least look, telling Elise to grab everything from the mans locker while he was gone. Through the office there was indeed a door. It opened into a small storage room that had a ladder set into the wall. He flicked on the lights and climbed up. Wooden planks were set down as a kind of walkway. He carefully made his way towards where he remembered the light fixture being. Whatever had killed the man by the pool hadn’t travelled from above as there were no prints of any kind in the dust and the tiles that made up the ceiling hadn’t been disturbed.

Owen knelt down on the wooden plank and pulled up the tile, now able to see the marks in the hollow metal pole. The metal was unusually thin for its purpose, the result of cost cutting he suspected, and the gouges looked more like indents. As if something had used it to kick off from. On the underside of the tile he could see where the paint had been pulled and had bubbled. To make sure it hadn’t just been water damage he pulled back some of the paint and found it to be bone dry. Placing that one back he checked the one behind it. The same effect. They lead across like footprints. He pulled the tile free and took it back down with him.

“Did you see what happened to the pole?” asked Elise, a gym bag slung over her shoulder and a pair of boots in her hand.

“I think something kicked off from it.” He walked over to the staff member. “We’re done here but you might want to get new contractors for your lights. They’re using the cheapest metal they can find and it’s going to end up dropping one of those lights into the water. And we need to take this.” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Let’s go.” He called to Elise who was still looking down towards the pool from the viewing window.

 

When they got back to the Hub Owen hadn’t let Elise get away.

“You want to be part of the team then you’ve got to sit in on this.”

“What? Why?!”

Gwen smiled sympathetically. “He’s done this to all of us. He waits until he gets one of the really bad bodies and you have to stay and suffer with him as he does the autopsy. I’m telling you now, there’s no shame in throwing up.”

Elise deflated. “Seriously?”

“Yep. Better to get it out of the way now. Good luck.”

“Be thankful yours isn’t a six days dead blowfish.” Shuddered Ianto as he walked past, remembering the eye watering stench and the sound that haunted him.

Elise squared her shoulders and vowed to keep her stomach no matter what.

 

The body from the pool , a thirty six year old male with a tattoo of a lion on his left bicep, hadn’t just died from the single attack to his spine. Once turned over the man was found to have multiple smaller lacerations all over his torso and face. Unlike in most animal attack cases he showed no signs of his attacker trying to consume any of him. It had killed him for the sake of killing him. Owen had found the broken tip of a claw stuck between two vertebrae so it hadn’t been mechanical. Elise was still getting used to that being one of the criteria.

She was proud that she hadn’t thrown up and was finally able to leave as Owen cleaned up. As she emerged Tosh called her over.

“What’s up?”

“I copied everything from our victims phone and I found these.”

Tosh brought up a set of photographs on her computer screen, each blurry but seeming to show a humanoid shape with what could be a pointed red hat. Though humanoid the proportions of the being didn’t quite fit, the hands too long and torso malformed. Its skin was a sickly yellowish green. Sadly no fine detail could be seen to confirm what it actually was.

“You sound too chipper to have just found a few photos.” Smiled Elise.

“I found this too. It was recorded three nights ago.”

A shaky video began to play. The man, recognisable by his tattoo, sat in what seemed to be the locker room.

“Everyone’s finally gone. I can’t go home with that thing there. I woke up last night and it was on the end of my fucking bed. Just sitting there with those big red eyes. It laughed at me when I woke up… I’m not going mad! I got those pictures of it and I think… I think I can stay safe here. When I woke up I threw a glass of water at it and it freaked out. It was covering its head. It must not like water so I’m going to hide out here. I cant stay forever but maybe it’ll give up and stalk someone else. This place is locked up tight… I’m going to set this to upload then get in the water. If you don’t see anything else from me then it got me. My mam warned me about the red caps when I was little… If they’re real then… “

The video ended.

“He tried to upload it to youtube but the WIFI is turned off a little while after the building closes. I checked on his youtube channel and he just has footage of few parties, trips with friends and this.” She clicked on a second window and set it to play.

It showed a group setting up tents. The mans voice could be heard narrating the events.

“So we’re out in the middle of nowhere cos these dick heads don’t know how to use a sat nav but it’s a beautiful day so fuck it. We’re going to set up here. Over there is Garth and Tina.” The couple waved, laughing and ducking into their tent. “The bloke bringing the drinks is Sanjit.” A man carrying a cool box rolled his eyes at the amateur camera man. “Over there starting the barbecue we have Robbie and still in the car over there… There… Is Frankie and David. Oi! Come on and at least help!” He walked towards the car to see two concerned faces. One man, presumably David, shook his head.

“Mate. We shouldn’t stay here.”

“Stop worrying. We’re in the middle of nowhere, just come out and have some fun with the rest of us.”

“This is redcap land.”

“You’re hiding in the car from tinkerbell?”

“No. You don’t mess with redcaps. We’re going. You should too.”

The footage paused as David and Frankie drove away. A jump cut transitioned to nighttime, Robbie sitting with a beer in his hand.

“Fucks sake Matt, put the camera away for once.”

“Aww come on, show everyone your pretty face.”

“Sod off.”

Tina walked through the frame and sat down with her own drink. “You going to tell everyone about what you found?”

“Oh yea.” Matt, the man with the tattoo, turned the camera towards himself. “I walked off into the trees to take a piss, as you do, and I found this cave. It had a circle of rocks, big ones, in front of it with these weird letters scratched into them. They looked old as fuck. I thought one might be a good souvenir so…” He turned the camera to a mid sized stone that had been dug up, dirt still covering the bottom of the rock. On the face of it a symbol was etched, glimmering slightly. Another jumpcut interrupted the video switching to the sound of leaves crunching. Matt’s voice returned.

“Here it is. Thought you might want to see the cave before we left.”

“Pause that.” Said Elise, squinting at the screen. “Look at the top right of the darkness in the cave. Something’s looking out from there.”

Tosh nodded and pushed her glasses up. She zoomed into the stone on the far right.

“That symbol.”

“Is this where he got it from?… He never mentioned anything like this before. But symbols are usually just words, right?”

“Often yes. It just seems a little too coincidental.”

“I’ll look into it. Owen should be up in a sec, could you give him the rundown on this?”

“Yes. Ely? Are you ok?”

“Yea. It’s just a shock. I don’t really even know where to start looking.”

“Ask Ianto. He might know.”

“Thanks.” She kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. “Hopefully this won’t take too long.”

“With all the languages on and off Earth that’s pretty unlikely.”

“If I don’t find anything I’ll just move on to looking up redcaps.”

 

Ianto pulled a large book down from one of the shelves and placed it on the central table.

“It’s been a while since I had to look in here.”

“I guess most of it’s digitised now.”

“That and I can google a lot of things. The internet is a wonderful thing.”

Elise laughed softly. “I feel like I’ve just heard an awful secret.”

“Don’t tell them. It’ll just break their hearts. Here we go.” He scanned down the page covered with hundreds of symbols with his eyes. “This is the closest language we’ve found to the symbol style you’re looking for but it’s only partially translated. The only items found using these were dated back to the iron age.”

“Yes. These here look like the symbols on the other stones. Let’s see… Blood… Water… to bind… to banish… I don’t see this last one. Typical.”

“Don’t give up yet. Maybe it’s a composite symbol.” He took a small notepad from his pocket and copied the symbol on Elise’s hand. Looking through the list they had it seemed to be made from three of the other symbols. The first being life and the last being death, the central glyph was untranslated.

“Nice. I mean for the rocks we can work it out from the context. The first one pertains to the creature… The second a way to fend it off…”

“The third would be to keep it there… The fourth would weaken it?”

“And the last one… Hmm… Maybe, time?”

“It’s the one thing that life and death have no control over.”

“So the central part of it is outside. Outside life and death.”

“Contextually it works. They couldn’t kill what they were afraid of so they locked it away.”

“Until our guy took the binding stone home.”

“Any idea what the creature is?” He asked, putting the book away.

“He called it a redcap.”

“All mythical creatures come from somewhere.”

“Mythical creature?”

“Redcaps are meant to be little cave dwellers. They’re like garden gnomes but they have big teeth.”

“That sounds down right cutesy.”

“They’re called redcaps because they dip their hats in peoples blood. They’re meant to die if the blood ever dries.”

“Not so cutesy… But it might be why it was afraid of water. If the blood got washed away it might die. Shit, it also means it’s going to be looking for fresh blood. Thanks Ianto. I owe you one.”

 

“Is there any way we can track this thing?” Asked Jack, knowing that the older the creature the less chance of it leaving a traceable trail. It didn’t look good.

“It stalked the last victim before attacking so maybe we have some time to find it. I’ve got a scan running for certain keywords.”

“It’s something. Gwen, get in contact with your old friends. See if anything at all has been reported.”

Gwen nodded, hoping for any kind of lead.

“Owen, what did you get from the body?”

“The redcap left the tip of its claw and a few hairs. Its DNA doesn’t match anything on the system but I think we were wrong about its motives initially. I thought it hadn’t fed on the body but its claws and hair are hollow and show traces of the victims blood the whole way through.”

“If it feeds only on blood maybe we can lure it out. I doubt it would have gone too far from its last attack… Let’s go hunt ourselves a redcap.”

 

Jack tipped the bucket of cows blood over onto the earth, hidden in the trees. He hoped it would be enough to draw in the creature. The police had already had reports of a suspicious figure seen lurching around the trees so, thanks to Gwen, he knew it was still around. Owen stood on the rooftop above, keeping a view of the whole area from above. It wasn’t easy in the late evening but also not the toughest to see, especially when the leaves began to shake.

“Something’s heading your way.” He said over comms.

Jack hid, listening out for movement. At first he could hear it running across the ground but then the sound stopped. He carefully looked out from where he hid but saw nothing.

“False alarm.” He said before the redcap dropped down behind him from the tree trunk. “Or not.”

The creature dodged Jacks swift elbow but it did what it needed to. It gave him some room to move. He drew his gun and fired but the bullet landed in the tree behind. The redcap spider walked backwards up the tree, letting out a rasping laugh to match the permanent grin its face formed. That laughed stopped suddenly as a hole was punctured through its chest. It looked down, confused, Owen taking a second shot that ripped through the redcaps right eye.

“Nice of you to join me.” Smiled Jack, watching the creature fall.

“Thought you might need a hand. That is one ugly fucking gnome.” he walked over to the body to turn it over but before he could even get close it jumped back up, tackling both men and disappearing into the foliage. Both men scrambled to their feet to give chase, following the trail of green, gelatinous, ooze it called blood. They followed until they hit tarmac. A childrens play area sat at the centre of the wooded park, surrounded by a fence. The slime trail lead into a covered play structure made to look like a half submerged ship. This case was literally getting messy, and the darker it got the harder it was to follow the thing. They needed to stop the redcap now. The rasping laughter echoed around the playground that had become eerily still.

Even though it was two against one Jack and Owen felt as if they were surrounded. Both could have swore they saw red eyes peering out from every shadow. The redcap thought it had won but it sorely underestimated how many illusionary creatures Torchwood had dealt with over the years.  After a while you learned how to feel the effect of the illusion but not let it stop you. The sound of laughter spread and multiplied to fill the air.

Jack pulled a blade from inside his coat and crept to a small porthole in the structure while Owen made his way to block off the short, arched, entrance. The injured redcap backed itself into a corner, growling and hissing at Owen. Before it could think Jack reached through and grabbed the redcap by the hair, slicing its forehead and pulling as hard as he could. Its scalp tore away as it screeched before falling limp and beginning to shrivel. Finally dead.

 

Arriving back at the hub Owen was ready to clock off for the night and get some sleep, but fate had other ideas. Gwen looked over to him, feeling bad.

“Owen?”

“Yea?”

“The police sent over a body.”

“Can it wait? I’m knackered.”

“You’ll have to be the judge of that. Ianto put him away so it’s up to you. Sorry.”

Owen waved her off and went to check the body quickly, hoping it would just be a weevil attack or lazy police work so he could go home. Upon opening the draw it wasn’t immediately clear what had killed the man but upon checking a note left on the door he realised that the body had been found with something attached to its head. The item had been left for Tosh who’d already gone home, Gwen only staying a little longer as to soften the blow of extra work. It could wait.

 

The next morning Elise and Jack went to investigate their newest corpse’s home. It was a very expensive looking two bedroom home in a gated community and they’d just entered when there was a knock at the door.

“I’ll go check out the crime scene. Good luck with the neighbours.” Smiled Jack, pulling rank so he didn’t have to deal with what he knew was behind the door.

Outside stood a sour faced, middle aged woman with a ‘can I speak to your manager’ haircut. Before Elise even managed to open her mouth the woman began.

“Do you know when all this police tape is going to be taken down? It’s making the neighbourhood look messy and my children don’t feel safe with all these vehicles coming and going.”    

“Ma’am, this is an active crime scene. A man died.”

“So? That doesn’t mean the whole place should go to the dogs.”

Elise blinked, wondering if the woman had heard what she’d just said. “Did you know the man who lived here?” She asked, trying to change her tactics with this odd person.

“He wasn’t very social. Always keeping to himself. I heard he got his money from drug dealing but he was always well dressed and left every morning for work. He seemed like our kind of people. Not that you’d understand.”

‘Bitch I could buy your ass’ Elise thought but tried to keep her composure. “Well, ma’am, if you have any information you know who to call.”

“What are you going to do about the mess?” She huffed, crossing her arms.

“My job ma’am.” Elise didn’t give the woman chance to continue, closing the door.

 

Upstairs Jack was already searching the room, noting that the police hadn’t taken evidence of any kind.

“Where does she get off speaking to people like that?” Elise grumbled.

“She doesn’t. That’s why she’s so angry.”

She chuckled to herself. “Anyway, has Owen found a cause of death for our guy?”

“Not yet, but we have a few possibilities.” Jack held up a small bag of white powder.

“If he just OD’d why did the police send him our way?”

“He was found with the device that Tosh is looking at attached to his head. Does this room look strange to you?”

“Not really… It looks tidy.”

“Think about that.” He was trying to teach her something.

“Ok… So, if he did OD then he came home to relax…But … There’s no blood or vomit and no signs of active drug use…”

“And what does that tell you?”

“He didn’t OD.”

“And?”

“He didn’t struggle… How old was he?”

“Mid twenties by the look of him.”

“So he shouldn’t have died of natural causes. The only thing that could have killed him was the thing around his head.”

“Bingo.  We’ll make an investigator out of you yet.”

 

Owen sat down in his desk chair, annoyed.

“Something wrong?” Tosh asked, not looking up.

“He died of shock, but I can’t find what triggered it. I thought I had something when I found an injection site at the back of his neck but nothing’s damaged and there’s nothing in his blood. Nothing. “

“I might have something for you then.” She brought up a new window on her screen. “This device seems to override the nervous system.”

“The leaf shape is a control box and the two contacts hold it securely on the temples. When it’s switched on the back contact extends a fine needle into the spinal cord. From there it enhances whatever signals it’s given to a scale depending on how high it’s set. On the lower settings it favours the pleasure centres of the brain but once it gets half way…” she continued.

“It becomes a torture device… Maybe he was just trying to get off and slipped. He wouldn’t be the first.”

“I wish I could say you were just being crude but I can’t think of any other reason it would have that range of settings.”

“The few things that unite every lifeform. Eating, fucking and dying. Trust us to find the alien sex toy.”

“Better here than in the wrong hands.”

“I think we count as the wrong hands.”

“Worse hands then.”

 

Elise seemed to be the only one who liked Jacks driving. It was fun even if it was technically dangerous.

“We’ve got one more stop before we head back.” He said, eyes on the road ahead.

“Oh? For what?”

“Your Owen left me a warning about a shape shifter. Apparently it turns up before and at Gwens wedding somehow so I want to get it dealt with now. He didn’t leave many details.”

“He couldn’t type for long. I wonder how long it took him to write something for everyone.”

“A long time… Are you sure this is the life you want? You could just start your life over.”

“You know I can’t give this all up!”

“I’m just giving you the option.”

“He tried to give me the same option. This is my second chance and I’m not going to waste it being normal. Anyway, there’s no way I’m leaving Tosh.”

“I always thought she’d end up with Owen.”

“I think that was the original plan but life doesn’t usually follow plans too well. Jack why are we taking every side road you see?”

“We’re being followed. We have been since we left the house.”

She looked in the rear view mirror and there was a smaller car with heavily tinted windows keeping pace with them.

“So no shape shifter?”

“We’re still doing that, just gotta lose this guy first, hold on tight.” He suddenly spun the steering wheel, throwing them both around a sharp corner. The car behind tried to turn and keep up but spun out, slamming into a lamppost.

“Should we stop and have a chat with this clown?” Elise asked, looking over her shoulder.

“Can you run if you need to?”

“My leg feels fine. I can run.”

He nodded and brought the SUV to a halt, reversing enough to see if the guy had got out of the car. Hopping out, gun drawn, Jack took a few steps towards the car.

“Out of the car! Hands on your head!” He ordered. Now able to see the man in the drivers seat. “Now!”

The driver shook his head, wide eyed. He reached for something next to him. They could barely blink before he placed the gun he’d hidden in the car under his chin and fired.

Jacks shoulders dropped.

“What the hell?” Breathed Elise, lowering her own weapon.

 

Owen sighed at his second body of the day. The first had been the very picture of health, other than being dead, but this man looked as if he’d been through years of abuse. Scars covered the mans back, some old, some relatively new but what interested Owen was the injection point in the back of the mans neck that matched the earlier corpse exactly.

“Looks like he was trying to get the toy back.”

Elise lent on the railing. “Why did he kill himself though?”

“Desperation. When he saw he wasn’t going to get the thing back he just gave up.”

“This just feels so empty. I feel like I’m missing something.”

“Sometimes cases are like that. The world seems like shit and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“I guess.”

“Ready to get back on your feet tomorrow?”

“Back on my feet?”

“You need to start moving that leg. Usually we would have started training by now but you got shot so…”

“Ok, ok, that doesn’t seem so bad.”

 

Three weeks later Elise had finished her sixth lap around the hub.

“I… Fucking… Hate… You!” She panted, leaning on her knees.

Owen smiled. “You did better that time. Still too slow, but better. Go again.”

“Are … You… Serious?”

“Deadly.”

“Jack!.. This has to count… as abuse!”

Jack looked up from his desk. “I’d have you carrying a full backpack too.”

“He would. Up a muddy hill.” Owen agreed.

Elise shook her head, giving the best glare she could.

“Tell you what. Give me one more lap and if you can catch me I’ll let you punch me.”

She sped off, boosted by anger alone. On her way back Owen almost jogged backwards, just out of reach.

“I swear… to GOD!… I’ll… Kill you!” She growled, at Owen mocking her.

“If you can catch me.” He finally turned, still staying just out of reach, knowing she was too tired to do any harm to him even if she could catch him. “Want to give up?”

“I’m finishing this!… Out!… Of!… SPITE!”

“It’s how I live my life. Aaaand out of space. Though that was your best time.”

She wiped her brow and flipped him the bird before staggering off to shower.

“That was mean.” Tosh pouted from her desk.

“Better than her getting hurt again because she can’t outrun someone.”

“Still.”

“You’re just grumpy because she’s been too tired to put out.” He’d barely finished the sentence when a ball of paper hit him in the centre of the forehead. “Ok. I kind of deserved that, but don’t complain. You got to watch her run around in shorts and a crop top.”

Tosh blushed lightly and threw another paper ball that he caught this time with a grin.

Ianto walked in with Elises water bottle and placed it on her desk. “We just got a new report. A woman found dead with one of the head band devices on.”

“But it was archived.”

“It was. It seems there are more.”

Owen deflated. “Shit. Why do I get the feeling there’s going to be more of these.”

 

The doctor hated cases like these. He could handle aliens killing people because it gave a little distance. There was a wall between us and them, but when he got bodies that had their lives ended by another human, alien technology or not, it blurred that line. It made him angry. In moments like these he understood what had sent Suzie off the deep end. Sometimes humans were worse than the aliens they hunted.

Owen pulled a pin from underneath the bodies left hand index fingernail, adding it to the small collection he’d gathered. The woman on his table had dislocated her wrist as she’d fought against her restraints, rope burn covering the skin that hadn’t been rubbed away. The headband had burned the skin at the temples where the contacts sat and the needle had snapped in her spine. He guessed that was why the murderer hadn’t taken it with them.

Flora Daniels, forty one years old, had green eyes and bleached blond hair and seemed to have spent a long time making her makeup perfect before her tears and sweat had melted it away. Her designer skirt and blouse spoke of a high company position but the tan line that was fading on her left ring finger told of a divorce. Every corpse had a story to tell, whether telling of their death or the life they had lead before. Flora had run from her killer. The soles of her tights were torn to shreds and her high heeled shoes, presented by the wear on her feet themselves, were long gone.

Owen had found fibres caught between her top right molars meaning she’d been gagged. Whoever killed her had made her death as painful as possible, not for information but for its own sake and now she was on his table. No one deserved that fate.  

He gently removed the headband, worrying that as it was damaged it might fall apart. On the metal strip that connected two of the pieces was an etching that didn’t look like it matched the rest of the design.

 

A scan of the symbol linked back to a website for a company known as Dodolias closet. The front page was obnoxiously pink and made it very clear the level of business it was.

“Oh god it’s a hunbot hive.” Elise grumbled.

Tosh paused to let that sink in. “A what?”

“It’s a multi level marketing scheme. Like a pyramid scheme but targeting single moms and girls just getting into the workforce.”

“That explains the site but what’s a hunbot?”

“It’s a nickname for the people that get sucked in to this sort of thing. They go all over social media like a bot and contact everyone they can trying to sell their stuff. They usually start with something like ‘hi hon’. So, hunbot.”

“Pyramid schemes are illegal so it shouldn’t be hard to shut down.”

“That’s where they get you. They technically have products to sell so the law can’t stop them. Should I ask what this lot are selling?”

“It seems to be like Anne Summers, but I don’t see anything similar to the headband.”

“Scroll down to the bottom. They don’t always show their whole catalogue otherwise they couldn’t get their presenters to sell for them, but there might be a few overlooked links there. The employees are kind of dense by design.”

Tosh laughed softly. “No need. I know what database to break into now.”

Elise watched Tosh backtrack through the site to its origin and use digital brute force to get onto the companies internal system.

“You’re so cute when you do that.”

“What, my job?”

“Yea.” She lent on Toshiko’s shoulder with a goofy smile on her face.

“You’d think anyone who had worked out how to use something from another planet would have a more secure system… Let’s see… Current employees.” She scrolled down the extremely long list before searching specifically for the recent victims names. Flora had been filed as the secretary to the head of product development and the man who’d died in his home had been the head of sales and marketing.

“Did we ever find out who the guy in the car was?” Elise asked, curious as to if he too had been an employee.   

“Possibly. He didn’t have any ID, but his dental records showed that he was a missing person.” She pulled up the profile that had been put together for the man. “Carl Alexander Higgins, 25, went missing after leaving a club three years ago. The car he was driving when he followed you was stolen and using stolen plates.”

“Was he an employee?”

“Let me see…  No… But this database was put together after he went missing. I’ll see if I can find a link. You should sit down. You must be exhausted.”

Elise stretched and rolled her shoulders. “I’m fine. The shower helped.”

“Are you still going to kill Owen?”

“Naa. All my hard work would have been wasted if I did that, anyway it is kind of embarrassing that I can’t keep up.”

“We all have different skills, it’s not that big of an issue.”

“Maybe on a weevil hunt but for anything else I can’t risk getting left behind.”

“None of us would leave you behind.”

“Not intentionally. Anyway, give me a kiss. I’m going to go get lunch with Ianto.” She lent down to kiss her partner softly. “Anything you want me to get while I’m out?”

“Surprise me.”


	3. Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With a MLM possibly trying to sell alien technology it’s a race to stop the devices reaching the public.

With Gwen away on her honeymoon their usual way of speaking with the police was unavailable so they had to go by their old methods, still knowing how to access the police systems as they hadn’t been changed in years. Owen was skimming over old reports to see if any other bodies had been found with the unique injection point at the back of their necks. It was a boring job but it was a good way to decompress and refocus. He stopped at a file about a girl known as Hellena Grace Higgins,  twenty four at the time of her death. It had been an apparent suicide three years before. Just before her husband, Carl had gone missing. She’d been found in bed with her wrists slit while her husband was away. She’d left no note and showed no signs of hesitation. Owen looked closer at the autopsy photographs, seeing the telltale mark, though more bruised looking than the others, at the back of her neck. It had been overlooked at the time and gave a reason why the police hadn’t searched as hard as they should have for her grieving husband.    **  
**

Elise and Ianto took a slow walk back, thankful that the recent rain had taken a break. People walked past them, just seeing the two as part of the crowd, never knowing their duties or what they had hidden just below the surface of the city. In the centre of the street a few doors down from Anne Summers stood a young woman in a bright pink shirt handing out leaflets. She had a forced chipperness about her and spoke as if everyone was her best friend. What caught the twos attention was the symbol printed on her shirt. She caught Elise looking and began her sales pitch.

“Hi hon, need a little excitement in your relationship or want to make some extra money from home.”

“Sure.” Elise began. “One sec. Babe.” She turned to Ianto and handed him the bag. “If you want to go ahead I’ll catch up.” She looked him in the eye, hoping he’d understand what she was doing. It took a moment but he got it.

“Oh, yea. Don’t be too long.”

“I won’t.” She turned back to the woman and Ianto retreated to a distance to observe, out of sight.

“Is that your other half? He seems like a sweet guy.” The woman nudged Elise in the arm.

“He is, but you know. Work stress. We barely have time.”

“Oh I know. It’s the worst. Have you heard of  Dodolyas closet? We’ve been around for ages but recently we’ve had a big boost in how many girls know about us all thanks to our new boss babe system. Our mission is to spice up your relationships and help women like you and me become financially independent without commuting to an office every day.”

“Sounds interesting but I’m kind of shy so I’m not good at sales.”

“No worries. We can all be boss babes in this business opportunity even if we aren’t too confident yet. I just heard that we need new product testers, and between you and me it’s something completely unique. Would you be interested in applying?”

“Sure. Do you have a form or a contact number?”

“I can give you the forms, here’s my referral code, but you’ll have to contact this number at our head office. The address is on the website and the envelope. This is so exciting. Trust me these products could, no, will change your life.” The woman handed over a booklet with the forms hidden inside along with more advertising material and a catalogue. “If you want to order anything then you can contact me by email or over facebook.”

“Thanks.”

“You have a great day.” There it was, the customer service smile. Elise smiled in kind then walked up the street, nearly jumping out of her skin when Ianto tapped her on the shoulder.

“Babe? Really?”

“You have to speak the language of the hunbots. It’s like a cult, if they doubt you then they get aggressive. She said you were sweet if you know what I mean.”  

“I’ve never wanted to cover myself up completely more than I do right now.”

“Come on ‘babe’ I’m hungry.” She laughed, hooking her arm around his.

 

“You should save shopping until you get home.” Said Jack, looking over Elise’s shoulder.

“Give me some credit, I’d never buy into anything this tacky and low quality. This is from the company the headband is apparently from.”

“Is it listed?”

“Not that I’ve seen but she said they needed new product testers so it might be still in the testing stage.” She took a swig of her orange juice. “They seem the kind of business to test something that dangerous on the masses.  I know for a fact a couple of the ingredients they’re using are carcinogenic. Though that might not have been discovered yet.”

“That’s what happens when people refuse to talk about sex openly.”

“True. Hel-lo. What do we have here?” She flipped to one of the final pages with a recognisable silhouette.

“Not just in testing then.”

“Think we need to give them a little visit?”

“Leave it with me. If they’re willing to kill their own higher ups then I doubt they’ll let us walk in the front door and give up production. See if you can find out where their stuff is produced, maybe we can cut it off at the source.”

“Yes sir.”

 

Finding the place where these things were being produced was easier said than done. She’d found where every other item was made but nothing on the headband. She’d even found a few items that were only in the design stages and where the samples had been made but there was nothing on the headband.

“What if there is no factory. What if they’re just printing the symbol on what they found.” She thought aloud.

“Not the best business practice.” Said Tosh.

“But it makes sense, right? They make them limited edition. That’s why it’s taken three years, because they had to collect enough. They sell what they have, take the money and run before people start dying. “

Jack smiled slightly at her trying to be proactive. “Your evidence?”

“The first one we found didn’t have the symbol on the band. The bands would be printed before it was constructed so even prototypes should be marked correctly. What’s more if the police photos are right then the design hasn’t changed in three years. The first thing you’d take out is the need for anything to break the skin and a setting that would cause levels of pain that could kill to prevent lawsuits unless you don’t know how to change the design. Think about those we’ve found too. What do you do when you plan to sell this thing, you get rid of anyone who knows where you got it from or anyone who doesn’t agree with them. It was personal. That’s why that guy killed himself. If whoever he’s working for found out that he’d failed to get the band back, then he could end up like the others and the only way out he saw was to end his life. He was in bad shape after going missing so he was probably at his breaking point.”

Owen sat forward in his chair. “That does cover the condition of the bodies, but I think it was more than just keeping them quiet. Floras death was methodical, sadistic, more than most people would be capable of. If my timeline’s right then this sick fuck is escalating. They’ve started with their business partners and people they want to keep quiet but it’s not going to be long until they start picking up whoever they think they can get away with taking. They keep the names of every person they sell to so they could potentially have thousands of options.”

“Right, Tosh, I want the names of every member of the testing group. Anyone that could have been sent one of these things. Let’s keep the group small. Try and pinpoint their origin within the company, we could have a wannabe serial killer on our hands.”

 

Speaking to people could be the most annoying part of the job as you had to listen to people drone on about the dreariest nonsense just to get the smallest amount of information. Jack, Owen and Elise had split up to try and recover as many of the headbands as possible while Tosh and Ianto did their best to narrow down the list. Elise had borrowed Toshiko’s car as she still didn’t have one of her own and had parked outside of a very nice looking house with a perfectly manicured garden. She walked up the path and rang the doorbell. After a few moments a woman dressed in a bright pink corseted dress and high heels answered.

“Yes?”

Elise put on her best customer service smile. “Hi. I’m from Dodolyas closet about the product testing you’ve been participating in.”

“Oh? I didn’t know anyone would be following up in person. Come in.”

She followed the woman who seemed more plastic than flesh into the lavishly decorated home.

“Please take a seat. Would you like a drink? Coffee? Tea?”

“Thank you but I haven’t got much time. I still have to visit some of the other testers.”

“I completely understand, you must be a very busy woman.”

“I definitely have been.  Do you have the product? We need to collect them all before release but you’ll be given a free replacement on release day for participating.”

“Sure sugar. I’ll go grab it.”

Elise watched the woman leave the room and looked around. Everything was so garishly pink it started to hurt her eyes. On a shelf beside the large TV were framed photographs of the homeowner with friends smiling and laughing. On the far left there was one with a few faces she recognised. One of them being Flora. She didn’t have much time to think about it as something blunt and heavy slammed into the back of her head and she crumpled to the floor, out cold.

 

Owen had just collected the fourth headband from a young woman who seemed almost desperate to keep the thing when she caught sight of the list he was checking on his phone.

“Oh, the brand owner is testing it too?”

“Not that we know of, why?”

“There. Deborah Coral. She uses her maiden name on all the internal paperwork. I don’t know why she’s testing it though. She made the thing.”

Owen rushed to his car, ignoring the woman’s surprised questions, and hit his comms. “Elise? Just tap if you can’t answer me verbally. Deborah Coral’s on your list, she’s our killer. Elise? Shit! Jack!”

“Finished your list already?”

“Deborah Coral. She’s the CEO, not a tester. She’s the one taking the credit for making the headbands.”

“Nice work. Are you meeting up with Elise?”

“Deborah was on her list and Elise isn’t answering.”

“On my way.”

Owen put his foot down, hoping that he was wrong and that Elise had just taken her earpiece off. Even at top speed he would take a while to get to the other side of the city.

 

Elise’s head pounded as she came back to her senses. The first thing she realised was that she was strapped to a chair and completely unable to move, the second was that there was a blindingly bright light shining directly in her face that was making the pain in her head so much worse.

“You’re the one sticking their nose where it shouldn’t be then?” A sickly sweet voice seemed to echo around the room. “What I want to know is why.” Deborah moved the light to the side so Elise could see.

“I’m just doing my job.” She said through clenched teeth.

“Oh please, I know every single one of the people involved in my little project here and you aren’t one of them.”

Stay calm, that was the first thing Owen had taught her. In a bad situation you had to stay calm. She jumped as a nail scratched along the lines on her right hand.

“This scar looks like it was deep. Did it hurt?” She said it with such glee.

“Not really. No.”

Deborah huffed. “Shame. I saw you looking at my photos. You know when I found my husband was sleeping with that… secretary girl I was angry, but he did teach me one thing. Pain is a necessary part of existence. He was my first and it was just so… Exciting. Of course I had to find someone else to play with but that  Hellena I think it was. She barely lasted moments after I put this little to the test. That time I learned my lesson, anything too quick and it’s just not satisfying. Her husband on the other hand. Now he could really make a girls legs shake.”

“He killed himself.”

“Yes and he robbed me of my joy. Thankless little waste of time. I do miss him though, he was just so resilient.”

“Where did you find the headbands?”

“My husband found the first one. Him and his little friends used to go off on the weekend and explore abandoned buildings and bunkers. And he came back one day raving about this underground military bunker that he’d spent the night in. He told me that the chairs inside each had one of these on the headrest and that I had to try it. Of course I wanted to know where but he decided I didn’t need to know. I tried to get him to tell me willingly, I really did but he always had a weak heart and he’s better at fertilising the garden than he ever was at satisfying me. I had to piece together where the place was from his quaint little notes. After him I got a taste for pain. I should show you.” She gave a crocodiles grin and picked up a headband, wrapping it around the back of Elise’s head as she struggled. It was no use, she was bound too tightly and she felt the needle pierce the back of her neck. In her thrashing she realised that her earpiece and gun were gone. It could take hours for the others to realise she was missing. She had to stay calm. The pain in the back of her head pulsed.

“Get this thing off of me!” Elise shouted.

“Now now, you’re in no position to give orders. I’m guessing you were sent by whatever military group the headbands came from so you should have a decent amount of willpower. I wonder how long you’ll last.”

“You don’t want to do this.” She tried to breathe through the blinding pain in her head.

“Yes I do. I want to make you scream. Your head must be killing you already and it’s only set to the fourth level. We have two more to go yet. This level it just amplifies pain, the next it makes any pressure or contact sting and the last level makes you feel your organs move. Isn’t that exciting?” Deborah giggled, picking up a riding crop from a table in the corner. She brought it down across Elise’s thigh sending a burning pain through her leg. It reminded her of the gunshot wound and she couldn’t help but let out a cry. It rattled through her body and took much too long to fade. If this was the lowest level then what had it been like for the others. The anger and bitterness over that made Elise pull herself back together. Spite. Sometimes the only thing that could keep you going was spite. The riding crop came down on her leg again but this time she clenched her jaw and refused to cry out. Deborah looked annoyed and brought the crop down as hard as she could. Nothing. She threw the crop in frustration and backhanded Elise across the face. It felt like she’d been hit with a bat and she could taste blood from a mildly split lip.

Debora grabbed Elise by the hair and held her still while she turned the headband up another level.

“Why aren’t you begging me to stop?!”

“Not… Gonna help… you get… off.” She panted, the restraints feeling as if they were burning into her skin.

Debora stomped her foot like a tantruming child. Getting a mischievous smile on her face she clicked her ridiculous high heels over to the table and grabbed something that Elise couldn’t see. She held up a wheel of sewing pins in front of Elise’s face.

“Where do you want these?”

Elise’s mind raced to think of anything to say to stop the psychopath from doing what she had planned. It came up blank. Debora took a pin from the wheel and held it up to the light.

“Don’t worry, these are fresh needles. I want to be the source of your suffering, not some infection. Shall I push this into a joint? Under a nail? If you beg me I might put it somewhere less sensitive.” She was shockingly strong as she held her victims fingers still, the long pin held just under a nail. The pressure alone burned but the sharp point would be agony. Nothing Elise could say would make it better so she closed her eyes and hoped it would be over quickly. It felt as if her index finger had exploded. She screeched, tears running down her face. It seemed to delight the sadistic businesswoman, making her laugh.

“Not so strong now.”

“Die in a fucking fire, bitch!” Elise roared, light spots swimming through her vision.

The woman raised her arm to slap her again but the doorbell rang.

“What now?! You stay here and think about your position.”

Elise watched the woman go through tears before trying to work out how to free herself. It was hard to get her thoughts straight and moving just made it worse. She needed to get her hands free. Fighting her own bodies natural reaction to avoid making the pain any worse she turned her hand so her thumb was tucked under her palm. Her fingers shook as she pressed down onto the arm of the chair to make some space for her to slip out of the belt. It was like her dream, the burning cold, her lungs aching, blinded by pain. With a fast tug she slipped her hand free and immediately pulled the headband from her head, the pain dulling to almost nothing. She didn’t have time to catch her breath as she unbuckled herself and wrenched the pin out with her teeth, staggering to her feet on still shaking legs. Placing her earpiece back on she called out.

“Anyone out there? I found our killer.” She gasped, still trying to gather her thoughts.

 

Upstairs Jack and Owen already had Deborah handcuffed.

“Where is she?” Asked Jack, his gun pointed at their prisoner.

“Who? Your little friend? I’m not telling you a thing. By the time you find her she’ll be dead or too far gone to save.”

The captain really wanted to shoot this woman but they’d already decided to call in the police. Her crimes were very much human and that wasn’t what Torchwood dealt with. Owen had murder in his eyes but decided to put the energy into finding Elise instead. Thankfully they didn’t have to look far for their agent, hearing her voice on comms.

“We’re here. Where are you?” Asked Jack.

“Cellar I think… I’m ok. Did you get her?”

“We got her.”

Elise appeared from behind a bookcase that slid to the side. She looked pale but enraged.

Deborah looked round. “How did you get out?”

“Small hands, spite, just to ruin your day. You’re lucky they’re here because right now all I want to do is smash your fake, plastic, over painted face into the floor… Are the police here yet?”

Owen shook his head, moving to let Elise get close to the bound woman.

“Good.” Elise backhanded Deborah across the face as hard as she could. After that display that neither man had any intention of stopping. Owen guided Elise to sit down.

“Any double vision?” He asked, crouched in front of her.

“No. I’m fine. I don’t think I was out for long.”

He wasn’t convinced but her pupils reacted correctly and she showed no signs of confusion. Her breathing finally evened out as he examined the back of her head. There was a large bump but the skin hadn’t broken.

“What happened down there?”

“That bitch put one of those fucking headbands on me. Had a riding crop.” She pulled her trouser leg up to show the nasty welts on her thigh. As she put the fabric back down it was clear that she was keeping her finger away from touching anything. Owen took one look and knew what had happened.

“You interrupted her.” Droned Elise, looking at her finger. “They were new needles. She made a point of telling me.”

Owen winced and that. “Mind if I check for myself?”

“Go ahead. The headband’s on the floor down there too. I didn’t look at the rest of the room.”

“You leave that to me.”

“I fucked up, didn’t I?” she sounded angry at her own incompetence.

“Oi, stop it. If we thought for even a moment this was a possibility then none of us would have gone alone. You handled it the best way you could. We dropped the ball on that, not you.” He handed her an ice pack for the back of her head before going to collect what he needed from the cellar.

 

With no signs of a concussion Elise was cleared to drive back to the hub where Tosh almost knocked her over with a hug.

“Are you ok? You went dark and I thought… Are you hurt?” She asked, not letting go.

“Bruised but otherwise. I’m ok.” Elise smiled softly. She suddenly wanted to cry but had no idea why, swallowing to stop herself and hiding in Toshiko’s shoulder. She ached all over and her finger pulsed.

“Are you sure?” Tosh could feel a few tear drops land on her shoulder.

Jack rested a hand on Toshiko’s other shoulder. “Take her home. It’s going to hit her soon and it’s better if she’s in familiar surroundings.”

“What happened? Jack?”

“I’ll call you later to explain.”

Elise rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand, looking down at her shoes. “I’m fine. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”

He sighed and looked at her sympathetically, gently holding her arms. “Elise. Look at me.”

She sniffed and looked up into his bright blue eyes.

“What she did to you was torture. It doesn’t matter if you’re in one piece or not. Minutes or hours, you’re not weak for it affecting you. I’d be more worried if it didn’t affect you.” He said softly but firmly, letting her fall into his arms, shaking. “It’s ok. I’ve got you.”

 

Later that night Elise opened up to her girlfriend and was shocked at how much she understood.

“Eli, sometimes bad things happen to us. You can’t blame yourself. You didn’t do anything wrong. You handled it so well. Better than I would have. Ok?”

She didn’t seem to want to answer.

“Come on. Ok?”

“Ok… I want to be cut out for this but I’ve never had anyone tell me that I was worth a thing until I met my Owen and all of you. I always feel like I’m just in the way.”

“If you haven’t been retconned then you’re fine. I trust Jacks judgement.”

“Not that you could.”

“Hm?”

“My Owen told me I’m immune to it.”

“Still. You have a right to be here and we all know how hard you’re trying. You’ve saved lives. Don’t you think that makes you worthy of being happy?”

“I am happy. I’m very happy. My head’s just all over the place.”

“You can tell me anything, you know that don’t you? Even if you don’t think it’s important. I think it’s important. I want you around. If you can’t do it for you yet then do it for me.”

“I will.” Elise smiled and cuddled up to Tosh.

“Want to know what I was doing before dinner?”

She nodded.

“I shut down the dodolyas closet website, reversed all the charges on their system for the last month, sent all of their illegal practices to the police and made sure she couldn’t buy her way out of trouble.”

Elise laughed. “That’s amazing. I love you, you know that?”

Tosh blushed. They’d never said the ‘L’ word before. “I love you too.”


End file.
